Knesset approves law expanding gender segregation in academia

The Knesset approved a law early Thursday, with a 52-43 vote, to expand gender segregation in higher education. This legislation permits universities and colleges to offer segregated master’s and doctoral degree programs, subject to the Council for Higher Education's approval. Building on a 2021 High Court ruling that allowed limited gender-segregated undergraduate programs for ultra-Orthodox students, the new law extends this framework to all students and to higher degree programs. Proponents, like Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, argue it will "advance women from sectors that have not received the opportunities they deserve." However, opposition lawmakers and academic representatives contend it unnecessarily expands segregation, prioritizing religious rights over equality and harming academic freedom. Raluca Ganea, CEO of Zazim – Community in Action, stated the law "was not enacted in a vacuum," calling it "a fitting final chord for a Knesset that has trampled on women, LGBTQ people, and human and civil rights in Israel."